Lifesaver



Oct. 4, 1949. M. A. DA slLvA LIFESAVER Filed Jan. 12, 194e 2 Sheets-Sheet rJ.

Oct 4, 1949., M. A. DA SILVA 2,483,488

LIFESAVER Filed Jan. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Patented Oct. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE LIFESAVER Manuel Alves' da Silva, Newark, N. J.

Application January 12, 1946, Serial No. 640,785

7 claims. (ol. 293-26) My invention relates to a life saver or safety attachment for automobiles and other vehicles including passenger cars, trucks, buses, and locomotives and trains, designed to prevent or lessen the injuries to persons struck thereby, and lessen the impact, so that the force of the blow will not result in serious injury or death when an accident occurs.

An object of the invention is to provide a life saver or safety device for automobiles and the like, having an impact cushioning means into which a person is deflected when struck, and adapted to be projected into operative position automatically, upon applying the brakes of the vehicle so as to instantaneously open out in front of the vehicle at the moment that the brakes are applied, upon depressing the brake control foot pedal, the impact cushioning and absorbing device having forwardly divergent cushioning members between which a person is guided upon being struck, with flexible cushioning sheets or coverings of textile sheet material to soften the blow.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety device of the character described, which is placed in a hood when retracted and notin use, such as in front of an automobile over the front bumper, so as'to be inconspicuous and not the device will always be in position for instantaneous use when required.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing an automobile chassis, with the life saver or safety device applied thereto, and shown partly in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure Y shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudi- 2 nal sectional view taken vertically through the safety device.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing a spring roller, upon which the flexible cushioning sheets are adapted to be wound when retracted and not in use, and from which they are adapted to be unwound when projected for use.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing the hood or housing for storing 4the impact cushioning means and showing the cover and springs for normally closing the cover automatically when the cushioning device is retracted.

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one of the projecting devices for the safety device or impact cushioning means, and

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the winding and release mechanism for the cables.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device is shown applied to a vehicle illustrated as an automobile, the chassis of which is shown, including a frame l0 having the usual side bars or channel members Il, front steering wheels I2 having the usual steering mechanism including the front steering knuckles and rear drive wheels I3, all of the wheels being provided with the usual brakes I4, operated by mechanical or hydraulic means or a combination thereof as is common in the art, from a brake pedal l5 as is well known in the art. These brakes, are shown as the usual four-wheel brakes of the internal expanding type housed within the usual brake drums and simultaneously actuated with the brake pedal l5, though itis not desired to be limited thereto. A front bumper I6 is provided at the front of the chassis or frame and may be of any suitable construction. It is shown as attached to an angle bar I1 carried at the under side of the sidemembers H of the frame and may be of suitable spring cushioning construction at I8 and adjustable forwardly and rearwardly beneath the frame when mounted as shown.

At the front of the frame over the bumper I6 and fastened to suitable brackets I9 carried by the frame I0 as by longitudinal side bars Il, is a relatively small hood or housing 2() which may be open vat the top, front and bottom, if desired. This hood includes a back wall 2l having forwardly directed end walls 22 forming a substantially U-shaped member in plan and having a cover or lid 23 hinged to the top edge of the back wall as indicated at 24 with springs 25 normally holding the cover closed down at the front of the hood and sides or ends thereof. In side elevation or cross section, the hood cover is of right angular formation and closed at the ends, top and front, which latter bears a bumper bar 26 to prevent injury thereto in case of impact with another vehicle and to give the necessary rigidity and stiffness thereto. The ends 22 form a bracket to rotatably support a spring roller 21, the pintle 28 of which has its ends 29 fixed in rectangular openings 3B in the ends 22 of the housing or hood, so as to prevent its rotation, However, it is understood that any other form of spring roller may be employed so long as the same is adapted to wind in one direction, as by means of coiled springs or the like 3l shown anchored to one end of the hollow casing of the roller and the other to the pintle.

The impact cushioning device for preventing injury to a person struck by the machine or vehicle in front of the -front bumper, and so as to .prevent impact with the latter, includes an open mouthed sheath, comprising two textile sheets or strips 32 and 33, both of which are anchored at -one end 'to the roller 2'! to wind thereon one over the oth'e'n preferably extending over the top of the roller a'i'id coiled thereon in one direction or 'clockwise 'as shown. These sheets or strips, are disposed 'within upper and lower resilient spring arms 34 and 35 which converge away from `each `other forwardly, when 'projected as will be later `described, and are connected at their forward Aends by cross bars 36 and 3l connecting 'the transversely spaced para-llel spring arms 34 'and 35 and 'extending to the yends of the hood and roller or in'close proximity thereto. The lowerspring arms 315 atftheir forward ends also carry a transverse rod 458 lwhich is preferably'of circular-crossse'ction to form a shaft adapted to mount a plurality of iolle'rs 33, so that when the lower member Vis sprung downwardly or depressed by the weight of a person, animal or object in impact ltherewith, the same may roll along the ground, in front of the vehicle. As shown, the flower transverse bar f3? carries fcrwardly extending brackets 39 v`on which the shaft All in the form of La circular rod heldI stationary in the brackets, rotatably lsupports the rollers 38. Ends 22 have safety cushions '-22.

The spring arms 34 and 35 extend rearwardly above and below the-'roller 2l under the cover for -slots il in the upper fand lower edges "of the back p'ertin v2| of the hood 'as seen in Figures 3 and of the drawings. They are disposed in rearwardly converging relation and anchored at their 'inner or rear ends in pivotal connection as at 42, with the forward 'bifurcated ends of'plu'ngers 43 by reason of spaced 'apertured ears provided 'at the forward ends of said plungers. 'These plungers operate through the open 4front 'ends of telescopic cylinders M "and 46 closed at their rear 'ends and Yhaving springs e5 'coimned therein between the rear ends of the cylinders 44 and the corresponding ends of the plungers,so as to `tend to expel the latter forwardly to the forward ends of yinner cylinders 44 and outer `cylinders c6 in which the inner cylinders 44 are adapted to move. In addition, lsprings 4l are disposed between the inner ends 'of the cylinders M and the inner ends of the cylinders 45, whichas `we1l 'ascy1inders 44, may be closed byplugs 5S :having 4axial openings "49 therein. These projecting "devices including the cylinders, are supported in spaced parallel relation and ysubstantially hori- -`zcntally, but preferably slightly inclined frearwardlyfonthe frame of the machine in any suitable way so that the cylinders 46, which are also open at their forward ends, are held from movement. When the open mouth sheath or impact cushioning device is retracted, the spring arms 3i! and 35 move together and enter the outer cylinders 46 as the plungers 43 are drawn into the inner cylinders 44 against the action of the springs 45 and the cylinders 44 move rearwardly in telescopic relation thereto and within the cylinders 4S against the action of the springs 4l. In othel` words, the springs 4-5 and 4l normally tend to expand, and move the plungers forwardly to project the spring arms 34 and 35 and unwind the flexible sheath or strips 32 and 33 of the sheath forwardly in open position diverging outwardly or upwardly and downwardly in divergent spaced relation to each other with the lower .member preferably projecting forwardly of the upper member.

In order to hold the impact cushioning device rearwardly or retracted and to release the same, ith-e rear "or inner 'ends 'of cylinders Ed are also provided with axialopenings similar -to the openings 159 and 'flexible cables 50 are connected to 'the -plungers 43 at their rear or inner ends and extend through the axial 'openings 49 in plugs 4801' inner vends of cylinders i3 and 446, and springs 55 and 41 'so as to Idraw rearwardly thereon and move the plungers 43 into the cylinders 44 against the springs '5 to compress th'e latter and 'then successively cause the cylinders lill to be moved inwardly or rearwardly 'in the outer cylinders 46 against the action o'f the springs '4l until the arms 3R and 35 are retracted in restricted form, while the `flexible strips 32, 33, which may be of canvas or other suitable material, are at the same 'time automatically -'woun'd 'upon the roller 21 in the hood or housing 20. The rear Vextremities of the cables are wound on Vdrums 5| fixed to a shaft 52 suitably journaled 'across the rear portion of the 'frame t0 vand Ta clock mechanism or reducing gear constituting a winding mechanism 'for the cable, as well as a releasing mechanism to permit unwind-ing thereof upon depressing the Vfoot pedal This provided. 4llfhis includes an auxliary frame l53 having spaced side plates lthrough which the shaft 52 extends and is also .journaled The shaft-52 carries a large pinion 5l 'which meshes with -a smaller -pinion 55 mounted on an arbor 56, whichlatter is journaled in theframe 53 and carries -a :larger intermediate pin-ion l in mesh with a still smaller pinion-58 on -anarbor or Ishaf-t '59 having Aa squared outer end -by which a ratchet wheel B5 with which -a :.pawl '61 normally engages under the action of aspring 66 fixed to the -pawl 61 .and ,pi-vot thereof, within the Aframe 53. The ,.pawl 61 is weighted at its-rear end, and

Yis `provided at its'forward end with a forkBS, the

upper arm -of which-islonger than ithe lowerarm and extends :forwardly `forengagement by the-lateral arm`69 of -a =lever 10 extending downwardly and forwardly below the frames 53 and -IU under the chassis in front of the frame 53 .and no1'- mally held rearwardly at its upper end by a spring '1.1i onthe pivot 12 of the lever 10 and anchored yat one end to the frame and at the outer end to y `the leverv so that the pawl 61 may normally engage the ratchet wheel 65 to hold the cables under tension when wound upon the j'drums 5l and theA safety device is retracted. A release cable 13 is connected to the lower end of the lever 10 and extends around a pulley 14 journaled in a bracket 15 suspended beneath the chassis'or frame Ill of the vehicle and then extends forwardly for conv nection with a foot lever or pedal 16 adjacent the pedal l for applying the brakes. The foot pedal 16 has a lateral extension or arm 11 extending vover the pedal I5 so that upon depression of the brake pedal l5, the brakes may be applied without releasing the safety device, while upon depression of both pedals, the brakes will be applied and the lever swung on its pivot axis 12' to swing the arm 69 forwardly and release the pawl 61, so that the cables 50 may freely unwind from the drums 5l under the action of the springs 45 and 41 in pressing forwardly on the cylinders 44 and plungers 43 to automatically release the Asafety device and cause projection` thereof in front of the machine in operative open position instantaneous with the application of the brakes to check the advance of the automobile. Since this operation is automatic with the application of the brakes, no independent operating device is necessary and since the natural instinct, in an emergency, to prevent striking a person, animal or object, is to apply the brakes, the possibility of j safety device, the operator merely closes the switch 64 to operate the winding mechanism, which will be held by the pawl and ratchet means, or a crank 19 may be applied to the shaft 59 at its squared end-in order to manually wind the cables 50 on the drums 5l, to retract the safety device. When the safety device is projected in front of the machine and bumper, the flexible spring or resilient arms 34 and 35, will automatically spread apart to open position moving upwardly and downwardly so that a wide opening is provided at the front end of the open mouthed sheath, and should the latter strike a person, the flexible sheaths 32 and 33, will considerably lessen the likelihood of injury, by cushioning the impact. When the device is so extended or projected, the strips 32 and 33 will be unwound from the roller or cylinder 21, and will be automatically wound thereon upon the retraction of the arms 34 and 35 by the cables 50 as described. It should also be noted, that when the safety device is projected, the arms 34 and 35 will slide through the openings or notches 4l in the back of the housing in forwardly divergent relation above and below the roller 21 and automatically raise the cover 23 of the hood 20, which latter assisted by the action of its closing springs 25, will automatically move downwardly to a closed position to cover the forward ends of the safety device or arms thereof when in retracted position, thus protecting the same in inclement weather and also prevent any unsightly appearance, though the hood is relatively small and may be reduced to a size approximately 4 inches square. In this position, it is practically unnoticeable, and in addition to the bumper bar 26 provided thereon to prevent injury thereto will be located normally in rear of the front bumpers I6 so that the latter will take impact with thebumper's of other vehicles or tion of the device will be automobiles. It is now believed that the operaclear from the foregoing description.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

WhatIclaim: 1. A safety device of the class described, in-

cluding an open mouthed sheath including arms adapted to be projected from the front of a vehicle when mounted thereon, means to pro- "ject' said arms, and means to retract said arms into closed position, iiexible strips connected to the ends of said arms and extending within the same to be projected therewith, in forwardly divergent spaced relation with the arms and means for'winding said strips when retracted with the arms.

2. In a safety .device for vehicles, arms of resilient `material extending longitudinally of a vehicle and adapted to be projected forwardly therefromin upwardly curved and downwardly curved and divergent relation, means connecting the forward ends of the arms, flexible strips connected to said connecting means and extending downwardly and upwardly within the arms, to constitute impact cushioning means, a roller for normally winding said strips one over the ,other thereon, means connected to the rear divergent ends of the arms for projecting the same, means for retracting the arms and holding the same retracted, and means for releasing said latter means.

3. In a safety device for vehicles, arms of resilient material extending longitudinally of a machine and adapted to be projected forwardly therefrom in upwardly curved and downwardly curved and divergent relation, means connecting the forward ends of the arms, exible strips connected to said connecting means and extending downwardly and upwardly within the arms, to constitute impact cushioning means, a roller for normally winding said strips one over the other thereon, means connected to the rear divergent ends of the arms for projecting the same, means for retracting the arms, plungers connected to the rear ends of the arms, cylinders in which said plungers operate, springs normally projecting the plungers, cables connected to the plungers and extending through the rear ends of the cylinders, winding means for the cables, braking means for the vehicle, and means actuated by the braking means to release the cables.

4. In a safety device for vehicles, arms of resilient material extending longitudinally of a machine and adapted to be projected forwardly therefrom in upwardly curved and downwardly curved and divergent relation, means connecting the forward ends of the arms, flexible strips connected to said connecting means and extending downwardly and upwardly within the arms, to constitute impact cushioning means, a roller for normally winding said strips one over the other thereon, means connected to the rear divergent ends of the arms for projecting the same, said vehicle having brake applying means operated by a foot pedal, power operated means for retracting the arms, means for holding said retracting means with the arms in retracted position, and release means for saidretracting means including a. pedal adjacent to the brake pedal and operated. upon depression of the latter to release the same.

5. Ak safety device for automobiles including the combination with the braking means thereof having a brake pedal, a hood arranged across the automobile, a normally wound, roller in said hood, a normally closed. cover for said hood, spring arms extending through. the hood above and below the roller in forwardly divergent relation, flexible strips connected to the forward ends. of the. arms and extending. inwardly thereof and connected to the roller to. be wound thereon one over the other,A collapsible cylinders in rear of said arms, plungers connected to the cylinders and movable in said cylinders,r means in the cylinders normally projecting the plungers and arms, means connected to the plungers for retracting the arms and moving the same within the cylinders to permit the cover of the hood to close, and means for releasing the Winding means.

6. A safety device for automobiles including the combination with the braking means thereof having a brake pedal, a hood arranged across the automobile, a normally wound roller in said hood, a normally closed cover for said hood, spring arms extending through the hood above and below the roller in forwardly divergent relation, exible strips connected to the forward ends of the arms and extending inwardly thereof and connected to the roller to be wound thereon one over the other, rollers at the forward ends of the lower arms, telescopic cylinders in rear of said arms, plunger-s connected to the cylinders and movable in said cylinders, springs in the cylinders normally projecting the plungers and arms, winding means connected to the plungers for retracting the arms and moving the same within the cylinders to permit the cover of the hood to close, and means for releasing the winding means, including a foot pedal adjacent to the brake pedal and a reducing gear associated with, the-,Winding mechanism having a normally engaged pawl, and ratchetr mechanism and a connection between the foot pedal and the pawl to release the pawl upon depression of' the foot one over the other, telescopic cylinders in rear of said arms, plum-gers connected to the cylinders and movable in said cylinders, springs inthe cylinders normally projecting the plungers and arms, winding means connected to the plungers for retracting the arms and moving the same within the cylinders to permit the cover of the hood to` close and the strips to Wind on the roller when the arms and strips are retracted, said winding means including an electric motor for operatingthe winding means and a switch controllingv the circuit to said motor, and release means for said winding means actuated upon depression of the brake pedal.

MANUEL ALVES DAV SILVA.

REFERENCES' CITED The following references are of record in the file ofY this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date` 1,386,308 Bedaux Aug. 2,1921

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Countryv Datey 4,168- Great Britain Feb. 18, 1913 322,304 Great Britain Dec. 51,1929 

